So, I can choose money, allies, or land. Tough choice. Money is in short supply, but allies and land are always important.
Frankly, given my poverty for the next while, it's going to be hard to find the money to give Malora a decent dowry, and I fought alongside the Hardy boy (heh). I'll marry his cousin and give Malora to him. Gods know she'll be looked after and I can focus on my own estate.
As for my uncle, I owe him a lot, and no man is accursed as a kinslayer. I arrange to have him smuggled to the coast and wash my hands of him for good.

AGOT: Robb during the Battle of the Whispering wood.
ACOK: Edmure preparing for and winning the Battle of the Fords OR Robb fighting and winning Oxcross.
ASOS: Tywin in the aftermath of the Red Wedding with Joffrey and Tyrion
AFFC: Edmure helping Blackfish escape and then being confronted by Jaime later on (maybe get a nice heart to heart between nephew and uncle before they part ways).
ADWD: Stannis on the march to Winterfell.
What about you? Which would you pick?

Floki of the Ironborn replied to Floki of the Ironborn's topic in General (ASoIaF)

Fair enough. As a fan of House Stark, it’s good to be mistaken in this case. I was just persuaded otherwise by a conversation I had with another ASOIAF fan who made a convincing argument that the West would have repelled the Ironborn without Tywin’s help, since the North was only taken by surprise and didn’t drive the Ironborn out because the Bolton forces betrayed them utterly at the right moment. He also pointed out how Baelish and Tywin, both very smart men, were against the Starks and their plotting would have led to Robb’s death somehow eventually, given that the Freys and Boltons were looking for an excuse. It was a rather sad conversation to have, honestly.

Let’s assume that Balon wasn’t a complete idiot and was persuaded by Theon to raid the Westerlands. Would that really have changed much in the grand scheme of things? Tywin and the Tyrells still would have made their bargain, and this would still have persuaded the Boltons and the Freys to turn cloaks. Maybe we’d still have the Starks in Winterfell, but the Stark and Tully forces would still have been broken and destroyed with Robb dead. Roose would likely still have gotten Winterfell and the North and this time he would make sure that Bran and Rickon would be killed.
Or am I mistaken?

They must not have contributed many men to Robb’s forces, since we know the Karstarks and Bolton’s contributed more than three thousand men each, the Manderly men totaled 1,900 or so, and we have to assume that there’s also Flints, Tallharts, Glovers, Mormonts and whatnot who can all field at least 1,000 men based on Jeor’s information. Obviously some houses didn’t send many people (Dustins and Ryswells and Manderly) and neither did the clansmen apparently. It’s just impossible to determine exact numbers though.

Floki of the Ironborn replied to Floki of the Ironborn's topic in General (ASoIaF)

Roose was planning treason from the start, based on how he botched the Green fork battle and used the battle to get his rivals captured or killed. Robb should have kept Roose by his side where loyal bannermen like Greatjon and Blackfish could have kept an eye on him. Bolton’s caution was to rush his men through a whole sleepless night, then loudly announce their presence to the Lannisters, then abandon the high ground to charge forward into a rout. Roose started with 18000 and ended with almost half his men dead. That’s a catastrophe.

After he made his deal with House Frey, Robb commanded more men than Tywin did. He had many experienced veterans of Robert’s Rebellion with him, as well as Brynden “Blackfish” Tully as one of his top commanders. He stood more than a chance to not only defeat Tywin, but to maybe even capture or kill him. Robb would have crippled House Lannister completely. Even with Jaime in command at Riverrun, he’s got none of Tywin’s intellect or diplomatic skills, not then anyway. Tyrion would either be dead or a prisoner, leaving Cersei and Joffrey to screw everything up without supervision.
And don’t tell me that Tywin is invincible. Edmure Tully repelled his forces no problem with an outnumbered force facing Tywin himself and his best warriors and commanders. If Edmure could do it, Robb certainly could. It might have been bad for Edmure, given that he was a captive, but it Robb had been able to kill Tywin and all the men with him, it would have changed everything for the better. And even as captives, send Tywin and Tyrion north to White Harbour to be held a prisoner, see how fast the other Lannisters muck everything up.

Knowing what we know, in Robb’s body, he should have gone for the snake’s true head.
Assuming Robb’s position, I would have left Jaime alone at Riverrun and taken my forces, plus the Freys, down to the Green Fork and destroyed Tywin in a pitched battle. And one way or another, Tywin Lannister would die. Either in battle, or else I would execute him when I find out about Ned’s execution. This means the Lannisters are doomed. Tyrion would be my captive, and neither Jaime or Cersei have Tywin’s cunning or diplomacy.
After my victory in Green Fork, I take my cavalry and race to Riverrun to attack Jaime’s army. Even if he escapes, I free Edmure and the other captives and do serious damage to their army. This cripples the Lannisters permanently, allowing Stannis to kill Renly and take his army to King’s Landing. The Tyrells are in a conflicted position, as many of their own bannermen joined Stannis, while I hold the Riverlands and North. When Stannis wins, I send ambassadors to swear fealty and reclaim my relations and family sword. If the Ironborn or the wildlings strike, I eventually return north and defeat them. I also wed Roslin Frey and return to Winterfell in triumph.

If the Spring Sickness didn’t happen, then Valarr becomes king and his sons after him. If Valarr is anything like his dad, he would have been a good king. The Blackfyres probably still try again, likely with even less success. Bloodraven might never go north as a prisoner, maybe as a volunteer instead. Unless that septon was right and Bloodraven was the one behind Valarr’s death.

That’s a pretty good example, Claude.
Though I think my favourite example is any line Arys Oakheart says regarding his or Arianne’s virtue. It’s just so delusional and absurd that it’s hilarious. Not to mention that we get into Arianne’s head and we know she’s playing him like a fiddle. I do feel sorry for him though, he’s just a hopeless idiot in over his head.

Based on how things could turn out in the new book, Stannis could be taken alive and placed in the grips of Ramsay Bolton. After what we’ve seen him do to Jeyne Poole and Theon Greyjoy, would Ramsay be able to reduce Stannis to such a state?
Like him or not, Stannis is one of the toughest characters in the series. He lost his parents in front of his own eyes as a kid, endured a year of slow starvation, has proven himself on the battlefield several times, he’s no Theon or Jeyne. But then again, torture is torture, and Ramsay is a virtuoso of that craft. How would such a situation turn out?

Forget the main storyline. Let’s say GRRM finishes the main books and reveals that he’s also worked on a spinoff book set during one of the big wars of Westeros. Which war would you want it to be?
For my part, I’d want a book set during the First Blackfyre Rebellion. Daemon and Bittersteel are two of the most fascinating characters that aren’t in any of the books or novellas.

Barbrey has been ruler of House Dustin ever since Robert’s Rebellion. She only married into it, and she’s been a widow since Willam died. There is no mention of any other Dustins being alive in the main story, so we can assume that she is the last person with the Dustin name.
How has that not been resolved in almost twenty years? She was just allowed to rule without wedding or producing Dustin heirs? When the Hornwoods died, leaving Donella, the whole North treated it like a crisis, with almost every major house offering to marry her and assume the Hornwood name. Where was all that for the Dustin situation? And it’s not like they’re a less significant house. They’re in charge of the North’s biggest winter town. I’m all for women ruling, but it doesn’t seem like Barbrey has made any kind of plan regarding heirs, and she’s not going to live forever.